Whitchurch Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitchurch Hospital |
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| Cardiff and Vale University Health Board | |
Main hospital entrance and bowling green
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 Location in Cardiff
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| Geography | |
| Location | Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°31′01″N 3°13′55″W / 51.51687°N 3.23184°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Affiliated university | Cardiff University |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | No Accident & Emergency |
| Speciality | Psychiatric hospital |
| History | |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Closed | 2016 |
Whitchurch Hospital (Welsh: Ysbyty'r Eglwys Newydd) was a special hospital in Whitchurch, a part of Cardiff, Wales. It was a psychiatric hospital, which means it helped people with their mental health. The hospital was managed by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Even though it's closed now, the hospital building is still a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historic place. Its gardens are also listed as historically important.
Contents
A Look Back at Whitchurch Hospital
Why a New Hospital Was Needed
In the late 1800s, the city of Cardiff grew very quickly. More and more people moved there. By 1890, many Cardiff residents who needed mental health care had to go to hospitals far away. Some were even sent to places like Chester and Carmarthen. This showed that Cardiff needed its own large hospital to help its growing population.
Building a Modern Hospital
The Cardiff City Asylum, which later became Whitchurch Hospital, opened on 15 April 1908. It cost a lot of money, about £350,000, and took ten years to build. The main hospital building was huge, covering about 5 acres. It was designed to care for 750 patients. There were ten wards, with five for men and five for women.
Like many large hospitals from that time, it was built to be self-sufficient. This means it had everything it needed on site. It had its own 150-foot water tower and a power house to make electricity. There was even a farm on the hospital grounds. The farm provided food for the patients and also offered them a way to work and feel useful.
New Ways of Helping Patients
The first medical leader of the hospital was Edwin Goodall. He used new and advanced ways to help patients. Because of his ideas, Whitchurch Hospital became known for being a leader in mental health care. Patients were encouraged to work and even go on supervised trips outside the hospital. The first head nurse was Florence Emily Raynes.
The Hospital During Wartime
World War I Service
During the First World War (1914-1918), the hospital was used by the military. From 1915 to 1920, it was called the Welsh Metropolitan War Hospital. Lieutenant Colonel Goodall was in charge. The hospital helped many wounded soldiers and those suffering from "shell shock." Shell shock was a term used then for mental health problems caused by the horrors of war. In 1919, Dr. Goodall received an award for the hospital's important work. In 1918, Matron Raynes also received a special medal from the King for her service as a nurse.
Helping with Occupational Therapy
Between the two World Wars, Whitchurch Hospital was one of the first to use something called "occupational therapy." This new treatment helped patients by having them do useful and creative activities. Sister Patricia Sunderland was appointed as the first occupational therapist in 1930. She wrote about how the hospital used occupational therapy, which was a very new idea at the time.
World War II Efforts
During the Second World War (1939-1945), part of the hospital was again used by the military. It became the largest emergency hospital in South Wales. It treated British, American, and even German soldiers. The hospital also kept 200 beds for regular people. This allowed them to quickly help military patients who developed mental health issues, like post traumatic stress disorder, from their war experiences.
Changes and Closure
On 5 July 1948, the hospital became part of the National Health Service (NHS) when it was created. This meant it was now run by the government to provide free healthcare.
In the early 1980s, new ideas about mental health care became popular. This was called "Care in the Community." It meant that fewer patients stayed in large hospitals, and more were cared for in their own homes or smaller local centers. Because of this, the number of patients living at Whitchurch Hospital slowly went down.
The hospital was even used as a filming location! In 2007, it appeared in an episode of the TV show Torchwood called From Out of the Rain.
In November 2010, the health board decided to move all adult mental health services to another hospital. Whitchurch Hospital finally closed its doors in April 2016.
